Lynn S. (lsuth) -
Helpful Score: 5
I really enjoyed this book. Doug Fine has a sense of humor about what he went through. We should all try and cut our carbon footprint, but it can be a lot of work. Goodbye my Subaru is light hearted and educational all at the same time.
Helpful Score: 4
While a bit too peppered with witty cultural influences here and there (oh he made a Lindsay Lohan joke, I get it!) this book is a really fun read. Doug Fine makes hoofing it out in the desert fighting off coyotes, floods, and drought fun. Throughout, you get a fairly good picture of the work and effort involved in trying to "go off the grid" and be carbon neutral. I couldn't put this down and read it quickly, hanging on every word rooting for him to win. A fun, educational book that shows you the positive side of going green instead of the doom and gloom.
Debbie M. (dk1421) reviewed Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local Living on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This book is really funny!! The author, Doug Fine, decides after years of traveling the world, to settle down, buy a piece of land, and start raising goats.
This is actually a book about how "green" he was able to become in one year, with hilarious bits: his car attempting suicide in the first paragraph; the river rising, with his goat food on the other side; the wind storm while he's putting up a windmill. But my favorite part was when he converted a truck to vegetable oil - I started laughing so hard, I was crying - and crying so hard, that no sounds came out! The french fry and KFC jokes were over the top!
This book is great for people who want to chuck it all and start their own farm. It shows you the problems that will erupt and more. But it also packs it in with laughter.
You do have to admire a guy who decides to go into raising goats so that he can make ice cream!!
-Debbie
This is actually a book about how "green" he was able to become in one year, with hilarious bits: his car attempting suicide in the first paragraph; the river rising, with his goat food on the other side; the wind storm while he's putting up a windmill. But my favorite part was when he converted a truck to vegetable oil - I started laughing so hard, I was crying - and crying so hard, that no sounds came out! The french fry and KFC jokes were over the top!
This book is great for people who want to chuck it all and start their own farm. It shows you the problems that will erupt and more. But it also packs it in with laughter.
You do have to admire a guy who decides to go into raising goats so that he can make ice cream!!
-Debbie
Darilee P. (cozysleuth) reviewed Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local Living on + 153 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A delightful, humorous story of living on a small ranch in New Mexico with supplies miles away as well as neighbors. Doug Fine tells quite a tale of back to nature with an old Subaru and goats too! Enjoy!
Bethany M. (psuchick402) reviewed Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local Living on + 27 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. It gives an almost realistic viewpoint to living off the grid, and how hard it can be to achieve something like that. It was a light-hearted and funny account, while throwing in some real facts. While not all of us can get a vegetable oil-fueled ROAT, buy a farm or solar panels, it gives us insight that we can reduce our carbon footprint in some way.
Helpful Score: 1
A fun look at one man's attempt to substantially reduce his carbon footprint. He spends a LOT of money to do this, including installing solar panels, a solar well pump and drip irrigation system, miles of fencing, as well as buying a new truck so that it can be converted to biodiesel, and so forth. Doug's lighthearted outlook trumps every misfortune that comes his way. Recommended for it's entertainment value, but read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle if you're more serious about the subject.
Julie (julielaf) reviewed Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local Living on + 8 more book reviews
A humorous, light read on the trials and tribulations of trying to go greener. It does leave you with a number of thoughts and facts to think about regarding your way of living and the world, and how we could all stand to be greener.
